UK's 'oldest' man is remembered

The former colonel had 10 great-grandchildren

The funeral is being held on Monday of a Polish army veteran - thought to have been Britain's oldest man - who died at a Cumbrian nursing home on Tuesday.

Jerzy Pajaczkowski-Dydynski, known as George, who was 111, lived in Sedbergh until ill-health forced a move to a nursing home in Grange over Sands.

The former colonel was born in what is now Ukraine, but was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1894.

Family are attending a private service at Sedbergh parish church.

Mr Dydynski escaped the German invasion of Poland in 1940 and worked as a gardener in Scotland before moving to Cumbria.

Colonel's life in his own words

His son-in-law Richard Thomas, of Birks Fold, said he and other members of the family had seen the highly decorated veteran at the Boarbank Hall nursing home before he died.

Mr Dydynski studied law at the University of Vienna and was serving with the Polish Army when Germany invaded Poland in 1939. He eventually managed to escape to Britain.

He spent months in hospital after falling ill on New Year's Eve 2003 and breaking his hip. The colonel was born in Lwow on 19 July, 1894, and moved to Sedbergh from Edinburgh in 1993 with his second wife Dorothy, who predeceased him.

The family said his long life was down to his positive outlook and, until recently, a daily half glass of Guinness.

He leaves 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Family from Poland, Britain, the US, Australia and France are due to attend the funeral service.